To the Editor:

I send this opinion as a person who has been very aware of political events in this county for almost 80 years.

Since 1954 I have been a registered voter in four different parties (in this order) Democrat, Conservative, Republican, and Independent. My mom and dad, while living in Massena (1937-1970), were deeply involved in the Democratic party, having been great backers of FDR. Mom, Catheryn Q. Devine, was the secretary of the Democratic County Committee for 25 years from the late 1940’s to the early 1960’s. She also ran for county clerk four times (never to win) and once against the incumbent who was under indictment, but was later tried and found not guilty.

So, since 1940 when FDR ran for his third term, and I was seven years old, I have been well aware of politics on the federal, state, county and local levels.

In all of those years, I, ( to the best of my ability to remember) never saw the Democratic party's choice for county judge be on the Republican side of the Primary ballot, and running against the Republican choice.

Another thing I fail to understand are the recent news articles by former county judges endorsing one of the candidates now running in the Primary, prior to the General Election. In my opinion it would be more prudent if endorsements were held off until the General Election in November, in fairness to all the candidates in the Primary.

J. Neil Devine

Parishville